Chapter 42

Chapter 42

With dusty hands, they wiped them casually on their clothes. "Hey there, officers, what brings you out here?"

Travis flashed his badge, identifying himself.

Kian stood behind him, notepad in hand, looking all business.

The elderly couple, lifelong farmers, were visibly shaken.

Their voices trembled, "Officers, we... we haven't done anything wrong, have we?"

"Oh, no, you're not in any trouble. We just need to ask a few questions about Jesse."

The couple grew even more anxious, worry etched in their eyes.

"What's happened to our son?"

"Is he in some kind of trouble?"

"Officer, please, just tell us what's going on. Our Jesse is a good boy."

Travis looked at them with a hint of exasperation. He hadn't even started asking questions yet.

He raised his hand to interrupt them, "It's nothing serious. We just want to ask you a few questions that might help us with our case."

"Please, don't worry."

Hearing this, the couple finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It was clear they were very protective of Jesse.

Throughout the conversation, Travis didn't need to ask much. They even shared stories about Jesse sleeping with piglets when he was a child.

This was the first time Travis experienced such proactive cooperation during an investigation.

On the way back, Travis sat in the back seat, rubbing his forehead, feeling like his head was about to explode from the overload of information.

Kian, Kelvin, and Elaine tried to stifle their laughter.

Travis didn't even open his eyes, "Go ahead, laugh if you want."

"Hahaha..."

The three of them couldn't hold it in any longer.

Travis turned his head, listening to their laughter, a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"Captain Smith, is this the first time you've encountered such cooperative people?"

"This isn't cooperation; it feels like the Captain is the one cooperating with them."

"I bet Captain Smith doesn't even want to find Jesse anymore."

Listening to their teasing, Travis looked helpless.

"But according to what they said, Jesse has always been timid. If he had nothing to do with Aurora's death, why did he run?"

The three of them stopped laughing, "That just means Jesse has a guilty conscience."

"Actually, people like Jesse are the scariest," Elaine said bluntly. "If Jesse really did this, then he must have planned it thoroughly."

"Hillcrest is a big place. Finding someone in a sea of people is no easy task."

"Jesse hasn't been home for two years. According to Aurora's case file, two years ago was when she started seeing her supervisor behind Jesse's back."

Elaine's face grew serious, "If Jesse started planning back then, that's terrifying."

Kelvin and Kian spoke in unison, "That's really scary!"

Travis didn't say anything, staring out the window as the sky darkened. His reflection stared back at him from the car window.

If this was true, Jesse was incredibly cunning.

The four of them drove to a barbecue joint in the city for dinner.

"Captain Smith, where do you think Jesse could be hiding? The guy hasn't been home in two years, and his parents' info is useless," Kelvin grumbled, nursing a beer.

Kian picked up a grilled beef rib, "I'm starting to think Jesse planned this two years ago."

"With his ability to dodge all the city's cameras, this definitely wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing."

"If you were Jesse, where would you hide?" Travis asked Elaine suddenly.

Elaine paused, then began to think. She closed her eyes, picturing the entire city of Hillcrest in her mind.

She mentally crossed off various locations, either exposed to cameras or in plain sight of pedestrians.

Suddenly, Elaine's eyes snapped open.

She stared directly at Travis, "Aurora's house."

"That place has blind spots in the surveillance and is the crime scene."

"The most dangerous place is the safest," they said in unison.

They didn't even finish their barbecue.

"Let's go!"

"Captain Smith, wait for us!" Kelvin and Kian hurriedly packed up the food.

In the car, before they could even buckle up, Travis floored the gas pedal, the sudden acceleration pinning them to their seats.

It was the first time they realized this old car had such power.

On the way, Travis kept an eye on the few cameras outside, most of which were just for show.

Travis was now more convinced that Jesse had planned this.

When they arrived at Aurora's house, Travis looked at the police tape around the door.

He pressed his ear gently against the door, listening intently.

He stood up straight and nodded at Kelvin.

Kelvin understood, took a deep breath, and with his 180-pound frame, rammed the door.

A cloud of dust rose.

The living room was empty, everything in its place.

Elaine looked puzzled, "Did I guess wrong?"

Travis shook his head with a smile, pointing to the window, "We guessed right, just came at the wrong time."

There was a faint footprint on the windowsill.

Travis was sure it was fresh.

"Captain Smith, over here!"

Kelvin's voice came from the bedroom.

The three of them walked in and found a stash of food wrappers and various supplies in the closet.

Travis relaxed, "We found him."

"This guy is smart, but he underestimated us."

Just then, they heard a window opening outside.

The four of them quickly found places to hide, moving cautiously.

Soft footsteps approached the bedroom.

Travis glanced at Kelvin and Kian, then moved behind the door, signaling them.

He looked at Elaine, indicating she should hide by the bed when things got rough.

The three of them held their breath.

After a long wait, the noise outside stopped, as if it had never been there.

Sensing something was wrong, Travis opened the door.

Jesse was already at the window, trying to sneak out.

"Jesse!" Travis called out.

Jesse jumped, but in his panic, he botched the move he had practiced many times.

He fell to the ground, clutching his knee, unable to move.